TALLINN, Estonia (Chatnewstv.com) — German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday praised Estonia’s clarity on Russia and urged Europe to shed “illusions” about security, telling Estonian diplomats that Germany has learned hard lessons since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Getting rid of one’s illusions is tough,” Wadephul said in a keynote address at the Estonian Ambassadors’ Conference in Tallinn. “For many of us in Europe, it is a process that is still going on. But you Estonians never had time for illusions.”
Wadephul highlighted Berlin’s transformation in defense policy, pointing to nearly €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine, a permanent German brigade in Lithuania and the reinstatement of voluntary conscription. “Over the next decade, my country will make the single biggest investment into our Armed Forces since reunification,” he said.
The foreign minister warned against any peace settlement that would leave Russian President Vladimir Putin strengthened. “A settlement cannot reward the aggressor,” he said. “It would be an illusion to think that security will be restored on our continent if Putin feels he has got his way.”
He also praised Estonia’s commitment to defense spending, noting that Tallinn will reach NATO’s new 5% target by the end of the year, more than a decade ahead of schedule.
On the European Union, Wadephul said enlargement was now “a geopolitical necessity” but must be tied to internal reforms, including the possible introduction of qualified majority voting and stronger rule-of-law safeguards. “Our unity is not a given,” he said. “It must be protected. And it must be strengthened.”
Wadephul ended his speech on a personal note, emphasizing Germany’s friendship with Estonia. “We’re EU partners, NATO Allies – and we’re friends,” he said. “Even for a Northerner like me, that is one reason to be a tiny bit emotional.”
